Onwards and upwards with Tell Me A Story launch party, Emmy the Great dates and FOM Festival

             

A jam-packed March with Women of the World, March for the Alternative and a Morning Star review, and more exciting stuff to come…

Hello everyone! I’ve been up to so much over the past couple of weeks that it seems like years since I updated you all on my adventures so I thought it was high time I did.

First of all, exciting news of things to come…!

The fantastic Emmy the Great has kindly invited me to support her for 3 dates in the summer at the St. Pancras Old Church in London, on the 8th, 9th and 10th of June! For details check my gigs page. If you can’t wait til June to see that you can also catch me at the Friends of Mine festival in Cheshire in May, which Emmy is also playing, along with my fellow Leftfielders get cape. wear cape. fly. Full details of the incredible line-up are available at friendsofmine.com (although I might not be on there yet, but rest assured I’m playing!)

I have also finally got my act together to have an official (albeit belated) launch party for Tell Me a Story. The long-awaited shindig will feature me, accompanied by some good friends, and support from some of Leicester’s finest acoustic acts, at The Soundhouse on Saturday 30th April. I know, I know - you might be a bit too overcome with the Royal Wedding, but I’m hopeful one or two might make it out anyway. ;)

Last month saw me up and down the country more times than an East Midlands train. I was lucky enough to be asked to play Women of the World festival at the Southbank Centre, London, which was immense fun. The festival itself was amazing and I got to meet some incredible acts from all over the country. Everyone who played with me at the Storm in a Teacup zine workshop was fantastic, but the one that stands out most clearly has to be Brigitte Aphrodite, who I strongly recommend you listen to here. My Leicester gig with the truly awesome, truly awe-inspiring Chris TT was also a wonderful night, and I hope to share a stage with him again some time soon.

In other news, a couple of people have said some very nice things about me! The lovely chaps over at For Folk’s Sake longlisted me for Glasto’s Emerging Talent Competition and gave these very kind words even though I didn’t get on to the shortlist, and Tell Me A Story received a great write-up in Morning Star, which you can find here.

To round off my crazy March was a crazy march. The TUC March for the Alternative was an amazing day with an amazing atmosphere that I was lucky enough to be a part of. From the dog wearing a coat emblazoned with “Greyhounds Against Cuts” to small children clutching balloons that read “Save our parents’ pensions”, it was all an unforgettable sight, and one comprised not of a trouble-making minority out to start a fight, but of a unified, daringly hopeful mass of people coming together to fight the Coalition cuts. Whilst we are assured that the government is “listening” to the protesters, it ploughs on with plans to devastate our services and it will get worse before it gets better. Many people have expressed to me their view that there’s no point in marching as nothing changes anyway. Half a million people are not easy to ignore, but I’m confident David Cameron will manage it - but I wonder what London would have looked like if everyone who is opposed to the cuts had turned out that day.

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements for plans for the summer! If there is a festival you would like me to try and get on to this year, please get in touch with me at grace@gracepetrie.com, as I’m trying to spend as much time in a tent this summer as possible!

Peace out x